press into service

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

press into service (third-person singular simple present presses into service, present participle pressing into service, simple past and past participle pressed into service)

1. (idiomatic) To make someone perform a task or duty, especially one they are not prepared or willing to do; to make something serve a function, especially one it was not designed or intended for.

   Anyone with basic first-aid training was pressed into service as a triage nurse after the earthquake.

   • 1979 January 25, Iain Nicolson, book review, New Scientist, page 269:

     In essence, the book gives a step-by-step account of how the author built, modified and developed his own 6-inch Newtonian reflector, pressing into service such materials as old larder shelves, a car halfshaft, pieces of Meccano, and several coffee-jar tops.

   • 2010, Robert S. McDaniel, Katherine J. McDaniel, Soap Maker's Workshop: The Art and Craft of Natural Homemade Soap, Krause Publications, →ISBN, page 136:

     Even the molds don't have to be expensive — most plastic bins, bowls or drawer dividers can be pressed into service, though silicone molds are readily available.

   • 2011, Colin Barrow, Starting a Business for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, →ISBN, page 51:

     The chances are that you have nearly everything you need to start up your business already somewhere around your home. […] You can press into service a garage, loft, spare bedroom or garden shed for a whole host of business-related takes from holding stock to being a dedicated office space away from the normal hustle of home life.

Synonyms

• army volunteer